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| 429th Electronic Combat Squadron | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1943–1945; 1952–1966; 1968–1989; 1992–1998 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Electronic combat |
| Part of | Air Combat Command |
| Nickname(s) | Black Falcons[1] |
| Engagements | European Theater of Operations Korean War Vietnam War[1] |
| Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Belgian Fourragère Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm[1] |
| Insignia | |
| 429th Electronic Combat Squadron emblem (approved 5 November 1987)[1] |  |
| 429th Fighter-Bomber Squadron emblem (approved 7 July 1955)[1][2] |  |
| 429th Fighter Squadron emblem (approved 28 February 1944)[1][3] |  |
The 429th Electronic Combat Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was first activated in August 1943 and participated in conflicts including World War II, the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Vietnam War.
The 429th Fighter Squadron, nicknamed "The Retail Gang",[4] was first activated during World War II as part of the 474th Fighter Group and served in the European Theater of Operations, where it earned a Distinguished Unit Citation and the Belgian Fourragère for its actions in combat. It remained in Europe after V-E Day, returning to the United States, where it was inactivated at the port of embarkation in December 1945.
The squadron was reactivated as the 429th Fighter-Bomber Squadron in 1952 as part of the 474th Fighter Bomber Wing and later the 474th Fighter Bomber Group, when it replaced an Air National Guard squadron in Japan. It again saw combat in the Korean War, earning another Distinguished Unit Citation and a Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation. The Squadron returned to the United States in 1954.
The 429th Tactical Fighter Squadron was deployed as part of the 474th Tactical Fighter Wing in September 1972 to Thailand to fly combat missions in the Vietnam War, and was awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device 28 Sep 1972-22 Feb 1973 and Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm 28 Sep 1972-22 Feb 1973. It remained a fighter unit until inactivating in 1989. It was last assigned to the 27th Operations Group and stationed at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico before its final inactivation in June 1998. The squadron was both one of the first USAF units to fly the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark and the last unit to do so.
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